AT&T Classic

AT&T Classic

Tournament information
Location	Duluth, Georgia
Established	1967 (1934)
Course(s)	TPC at Sugarloaf
Par	72
Tour(s)	PGA Tour
Format	Stroke play
Final year	2008
Tournament record score
Aggregate	260 Phil Mickelson (2006)
To par	-28 Phil Mickelson (2006)
Final champion
Ryuji Imada

The AT&T Classic was a regular golf tournament on the PGA Tour. AT&T was the last title sponsor of the tournament. The tournament was founded in 1967 as the Atlanta Classic although previous events dating to 1934 are included in the PGA Tour's past winners list.

From 1967 to 1996, it was played at the Atlanta Country Club in Marietta, northwest of Atlanta. From 1997 to 2008, it was played over the Stables and Meadows Courses at the TPC at Sugarloaf in Duluth, northeast of Atlanta.

This event is not to be confused with the AT&T Champions Classic played in Valencia, California, a Champions Tour tournament which bore the "AT&T Classic" name in 2006, prior to AT&T's acquisition of BellSouth.

For many years the Atlanta tournament was usually held in May. From 1999–2006, it was played in early April, the week before the Masters. In 2007 and 2008, it was held in mid-May, concluding on the third Sunday of the month, a week after the Players Championship (which was moved from late March). The tournament was cancelled after the 2008 season.^[1]

Winners

AT&T Classic

• 2008 Ryuji Imada
• 2007 Zach Johnson

BellSouth Classic

• 2006 Phil Mickelson
• 2005 Phil Mickelson
• 2004 Zach Johnson
• 2003 Ben Crane
• 2002 Retief Goosen
• 2001 Scott McCarron
• 2000 Phil Mickelson
• 1999 David Duval
• 1998 Tiger Woods
• 1997 Scott McCarron
• 1996 Paul Stankowski
• 1995 Mark Calcavecchia
• 1994 John Daly
• 1993 Nolan Henke
• 1992 Tom Kite

BellSouth Atlanta Golf Classic

• 1991 Corey Pavin
• 1990 Wayne Levi
• 1989 Scott Simpson

Georgia-Pacific Atlanta Golf Classic

• 1988 Larry Nelson
• 1987 Dave Barr
• 1986 Bob Tway
• 1985 Wayne Levi
• 1984 Tom Kite
• 1983 Calvin Peete
• 1982 Keith Fergus

Atlanta Classic

• 1981 Tom Watson
• 1980 Larry Nelson
• 1979 Andy Bean
• 1978 Jerry Heard
• 1977 Hale Irwin
• 1976 No tournament. The 1976 U.S. Open was played at nearby Atlanta Athletic Club (Highlands Course)
• 1975 Hale Irwin
• 1974 No tournament. Instead, the Atlanta Country Club hosted the first-ever Players Championship
• 1973 Jack Nicklaus
• 1972 Bob Lunn
• 1971 Gardner Dickinson
• 1970 Tommy Aaron
• 1969 Bert Yancey
• 1968 Bob Lunn
• 1967 Bob Charles
• 1948–66 No tournament

Atlanta Open

• 1947 Toney Penna

Atlanta Invitational

• 1946 Lew Worsham

Atlanta Open

• 1945 Byron Nelson
• 1935–44 No tournament
• 1934 Ky Laffoon

Tournament highlights

• 1967: Bob Charles wins the first modern era PGA Tour event played in Atlanta. He finishes two shots ahead of Gardner Dickinson, Tommy Bolt, and Dick Crawford.^[2]
• 1968; Bob Lunn is victorious for the second straight week on the PGA Tour. He wins by three shots over Lee Trevino.^[3]
• 1970: Georgia native Tommy Aaron wins by one shot over Dan Sikes.^[4] Tom Weiskopf came to the 72nd hole tied with Aaron but closed with a double bogey.
• 1972: Bob Lunn becomes the tournament's first repeat winner. He beats Gary Player by two shots.^[5]
• 1977: Hale Irwin becomes the first Atlanta champion to successfully defend his title. He beats Steve Veriato by two shots.^[6]
• 1979: Andy Bean shoots a third round 61 on his way to an 8-stroke victory over Joe Inman.^[7]
• 1980: Georgian Larry Nelson wins by seven shots over Don Pooley and defending champion Andy Bean.^[8]
• 1983: Calvin Peete shoots a final round 63, including a hole out for birdie from a bunker on the 71st hole. He wins by two shots over Chip Beck, Jim Colbert, and Don Pooley.^[9]
• 1986: Bob Tway shoots a final round 64 to win by two shots over Hal Sutton.^[10]
• 1988 Larry Nelson birdies the 72nd hole to become a two-time winner of the tournament. He edges Chip Beck by one shot.^[11]
• 1990: Wayne Levi birdies the 72nd hole in near darkness to earn his first PGA Tour win in five years. He finishes one shot ahead of Nick Price, Keith Clearwater, and Larry Mize.^[12]
• 1992: Tom Kite begins the final round bogey-bogey before making six consecutive birdies on his way to a three shot victory over Jay Don Blake.^[13] Amateur David Duval, a junior at Georgia Tech held the 54 hole lead^[14] by two strokes before shooting a final round 79 to finish T13.^[15]
• 1994: John Daly wins by one shot over Brian Henninger and defending champion Nolan Henke. Afterwards Daly says "This is the first tournament I've won on the PGA Tour in a sober fashion."^[16]
• 1996: Sixth alternate Paul Stankowski birdies the first sudden death playoff hole to defeat Brandel Chamblee.^[17]
• 1998: Tiger Woods notches his only victory of the year in Atlanta. He finishes one shot ahead of Jay Don Blake.^[18]
• 2000: Phil Mickelson wins for the first time in Atlanta. He birdies the first hole of a sudden death playoff to defeat Gary Nicklaus.^[19]
• 2003: Ben Crane shoots a final round 63 to win by four shots over Bob Tway.^[20]
• 2006: Mickelson dominates the field, using two drivers in preparation for the Masters the following week. He concluded with an eagle on the 72nd hole to post a score of 28-under-par, a career best. Mickelson won by 13 strokes over José María Olazábal and Zach Johnson, and would go on to win the Masters the next week.
• 2007: Zach Johnson seems to like playing golf in Georgia. His third career PGA Tour victory like his first two, the 2004 BellSouth Classic and the 2007 Masters Tournament take place in the state. He defeats Ryuji Imada on the first hole of a sudden death playoff.^[21]
• 2008: The last version of the tournament sees Ryuji Imada win in a sudden death playoff over Kenny Perry.^[22]

References

External links

• Official website
• PGATOUR.com Tournament website